Wood Duck | Audubon Field Guide

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Open Search Bird GuideDucks and GeeseWood Duck Listen 5 Wood Duck Wood Duck Aix sponsa At a Glance Range & Identification Behavior Conservation Explore More Back to Top

At a Glance

Beautiful and unique, this duck of woodland ponds and river swamps has no close relatives, except for the Mandarin Duck of eastern Asia. Abundant in eastern North America in Audubon's time, the Wood Duck population declined seriously during the late 19th century because of hunting and loss of nesting sites. Its recovery to healthy numbers was an early triumph of wildlife management. All bird guide text and rangemaps adapted from Lives of North American Birds by Kenn Kaufman© 1996, used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved. Category Duck-like Birds, Surface Feeding Ducks IUCN Status Least Concern Habitat Coasts and Shorelines, Forests and Woodlands, Freshwater Wetlands, Lakes, Ponds, and Rivers, Saltwater Wetlands, Shrublands, Savannas, and Thickets Region California, Eastern Canada, Florida, Great Lakes, Mid Atlantic, New England, Northwest, Plains, Rocky Mountains, Southeast, Southwest, Texas, Western Canada Behavior Direct Flight, Swimming Population 4.600.000

Range & Identification

Migration & Range Maps

Northern birds migratory; southern females may be permanent residents. Movements of males variable; pairs form on wintering grounds and male follows female to nesting range, so a male might migrate far north one spring and only a short distance the next, depending on the origin of his mate for that year.

Description

17-20" (43-51 cm). Colorful adult male unmistakable for most of year. Female has hint of crest, dark back, white eye-patch on gray head. Male in eclipse plumage resembles female, with more distinct white throat. In flight, Wood Ducks look long-tailed and dark, with a white trailing edge on inner part of wing. Size About the size of a Crow, About the size of a Mallard or Herring Gull Color Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, White, Yellow Wing Shape Pointed, Tapered Tail Shape Long, Rounded, Square-tipped

Songs and Calls

Female, loud wooo-eeek!; male, softer jeee? or ter-weeeee? Call Pattern Flat, Rising, Simple, Undulating Call Type Croak/Quack, Scream

Habitat

Wooded swamps, rivers, ponds. Favors shallow inland lakes, ponds, slow-moving rivers, swamps, mainly those surrounded by deciduous or mixed woodland. Often in places where large trees overhang the water, creating shady conditions. Also in open marshes within generally forested country. Sign up for Audubon's newsletter to learn more about birds like the Wood Duck Email Zip Phone (optional) By submitting my mobile number I agree to receive text messages from Audubon at 42248 about how I can help birds, including donation requests. Up to 4 msgs/month. Message and data rates may apply. Text HELP for more information. Text STOP to stop receiving messages. Read our Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Behavior

Eggs

9-14, sometimes 6-15. Dull white to pale buff. Females frequently lay eggs in each others' nests, sometimes in "dump nests" where no incubation ever takes place. Incubation is by female only, 25-35 days.

Young

ducklings remain in nest until morning after hatching. Clinging with sharp claws and bracing with tails, young climb to cavity entrance, jump to ground. Female tends young. Two or more broods may combine. Young are tended by females for 5-6 weeks, capable of flight at about 8-9 weeks. 1 brood per year in north, often 2 in south.

Feeding Behavior

forages in water by taking food from surface, submerging head and neck, occasionally up-ending; also by walking on land.

Diet

mostly seeds. Feeds on aquatic plants and their seeds, fallen seeds of trees and shrubs, also insects and crustaceans. Acorns are a major part of diet in many areas. Also comes to fields to feed on waste grain. Young feed mainly on insects and other invertebrates.

Nesting

Courtship displays of male involve postures that show off colorful plumage. Nest sites are in large tree cavities near water, up to 65' above ground. Cavity lined with down. Rarely nests in hollow fallen logs, barn lofts, crevices in rocks. Uses artificial nest boxes, even when these are placed low and in open marsh.

Conservation

Conservation Status

Early in 20th century, species was thought to be threatened with extinction. Main cause of decline probably loss of nest sites due to cutting of large trees, combined with hunting pressure. Legal protection and provision of nest boxes helped recovery; many thousands of nest boxes now occupied by Wood Ducks in U.S. and southern Canada. In recent years, apparently has been expanding range in north and west. Change in Abundance Over Time Drawing on more than a century of community science from the Christmas Bird Count (CBC), this chart shows how this species’ relative abundance has shifted in recent decades. Explore more and get involved in the CBC.

Climate Map

Audubon’s scientists have used 140 million bird observations and sophisticated climate models to project how climate change will affect the range of the Wood Duck. Learn even more in Audubon’s Survival By Degrees project.

Climate Threats Facing the Wood Duck

Choose a temperature scenario below to see which threats will affect this species as warming increases. The same climate change-driven threats that put birds at risk will affect other wildlife and people, too.

Explore More

Murals, Art, and Culture

Artists throughout history and across the U.S. have captured this bird in murals, books, and museum hangings. See what they’ve done: ¡Atención!

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